Rudy Giuliani for NY…Senator?!?

I’ve been finding it somewhat embarrassing that we in New York don’t seem to have a candidate to go against current NY Senator Kristen Gillibrand yet. Rep. Pete King said no. Former Gov. George Pataki I think is just flirting with the idea to get attention. While every other state seems to have multiple Republicans running against Democrat incumbents, here in the great state of New York…not so much.

Though there is one curious name being tossed around – Rudy Giuliani.

I know what you’re thinking, “But John, Rudy is running for Governor.” That’s what I thought too. JBdotC senior New York political expert Fred Dicker has more…

Top state Republicans will urge former Mayor Rudy Giuliani to abandon his interest in running for governor and run instead against unelected US Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, The Post has learned. The appeal, expected within a few weeks, comes in the wake of Giuliani’s embarrassing defeat in his effort to block Manhattan lawyer Ed Cox, ex-President Richard Nixon’s son-in-law, from becoming the state GOP chairman.

“I am picking up no support for Rudy for governor, but I’m hearing his name mentioned for US Senate,” one of the state’s most influential elected Republicans, a Cox supporter, told The Post. State Republicans describe Giuliani’s chances against Gillibrand as excellent and say the statewide organization fielded by Cox to become party leader could become a powerful base for a Giuliani Senate race.

“It makes so much sense for Rudy to run for the Senate and not try to go head-to-head with Cuomo,” said another prominent Republican. “He’ll have an immediate national platform in the Senate. He can take the lead on homeland security and national defense and, depending on what conditions are in the country in 2012, he could run for president again.

It makes sense. Regardless of who runs for Governor, Rudy is still going to be considered the “top of the ticket” if he does run for Senator. The NY GOP as a whole still reaps the benefits. But more importantly, the rumour is that the near unbeatable Andrew Cuomo won’t run if Rudy doesn’t run, because he doesn’t want to primary current failure Governor David Patterson.

That would open the door for someone like former NY Congressman Rick Lazio who, while inexplicably down a few points against Patterson in a recent poll (at this point, you would think Steve Canzoneri could even beat Patterson), would have a much better chance of taking back to Governorship.